Zosteriform cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania ( Viannia ) panamensis and Leishmania ( Viannia ) braziliensis: Report of three cases / Leishmaniasis cutánea zosteriforme causada por Leishmania ( Viannia) panamensis y Leishmania ( Viannia ) braziliensis: reporte de tres casos

In Colombia, zosteriform leishmaniasis is a little-known and infrequent clinical variant of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Its clinical features include one or more plaques made up of papules and pseudo-vesicles, which conform to a lineal pattern, as well as satellite lesions that affect one or more dermatomes, without crossing the median line. We present three zosteriform cutaneous leishmaniasis cases in which Leishmania panamensis and Leishmania braziliensis were identified as the infective species. In light of the fact that the disease occurs infrequently, diagnosis was reached by taking into account epidemiological and clinical suspicion.

La leishmaniasis zosteriforme es una variante clínica de la leishmaniasis cutánea, infrecuente y poco conocida en Colombia. Clínicamente se caracteriza por una o varias placas conformadas por pápulas y pseudovesículas que siguen un patrón lineal, y por lesiones satelitales que comprometen uno o varios dermatomas sin sobrepasar la línea media. Se presentan tres casos de leishmaniasis cutánea zosteriforme en los que se identificaron Leishmania panamensis y Leishmania braziliensis como especies infectantes. La sospecha epidemiológica derivada de la procedencia de los pacientes, así como la sospecha clínica a partir del reconocimiento de una presentación infrecuente de la enfermedad, permitieron hacer el diagnóstico.

Incrimination of Schistosoma spindale as a causative agent of farmer's dermatitis in Assam with a note on liver pathology in mice.

Cercarial dermatitis of paddy field workers in Assam is very common. However, it is not known which species of animal schistosomes, is its causative agent in Assam. Studies in two dermatitis affected villages of Dibrugarh district revealed that cercariae of Schistosoma spindale were involved in its aetiology. Indoplanorbis exustus was the only snail species found infected with apharyngeate brevifurcate schistosome cercarie. Experimental infection of the laboratory animals with the dermatitis causing schistosome cercariae revealed that duckling and chicken were refractory to infection. However, Swiss albino mice were successfully infected. The number of adult flukes per infected mice ranged from 6-321 (mean intensity = 68.1; S.D. = +/- 112.96). Histopathological study of infected mice liver revealed that there was mild inflammation of infected portal triads towards the presence of male flukes in the intra hepatic portal vessels. Kuppffer cells showed hyperplasia and contained large amounts of black pigment. No eggs or egg granulomas were detected in the liver parenchyma. There was no evidence of thrombophlebitis, septal fibrosis or pipe stem fibrosis.

Studies on animal schistosomes in Peninsular Malaysia: record of naturally infected animals and additional hosts of Schistosoma spindale.

Surveillance studies on cercarial dermatitis were carried out in paddy growing areas in Peninsular Malaysia. It was observed that dermatitis in paddy planters occurred in paddy fields which were cultivated using animals such as bafflos or fields where domestic animals were allowed to graze during the off planting season as these animals harbored the parasite. The causative agent of cercarial dermatitis was Schistosoma spindale. A total of 215 small mammals trapped from Alor Setar and 126 trapped from Labu were examined for the schistosome. In Alor Setar Bandicota indica, Rattus argentiventer and Rattus rattus diardii were the only wild mammals found to be infected with the parasite, while in the Labu areas only Rattus tiomanicus jalorensis was positive for the schistosome. The occurrence of S. spindale in R. argentiventer and R.r. diardii in Alor Setar and in R.t. jalorensis in Labu constitute new host and geographic distribution records of the schistosome.

Filariasis in the labour population of a tea estate in Upper Assam.

Preliminary random and mass blood surveys undertaken between 2000-0100 h in a tea garden of Upper Assam revealed more than 8 per cent positivity for microfilaria (mf) of Wuchereria bancrofti. The mf carriers were considerably high among males (73) as compared to females (48). Culex quinquefasciatus was incriminated as a vector with man hour density of 68.5 in human dwellings (indoors). The detection of mf in children who had never moved from the area and filaria larvae in vector mosquitoes collected from human dwellings indicate that indigenous transmission is going on in the garden and that filariasis has become a local health problem.